Recipes Rice & Grains Vegetarian

Ottolenghi’s Bulgur or Quinoa with Mushrooms, Feta & Dill

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This easy bulgur dish with mushrooms, feta and lots of fresh dill is a favorite recipe from the lovely book Simple by Yottam Ottolenghi (my full book review can be found here).

It’s a quick, simple vegetarian dish that’s equally suitable as a main or side dish. The large amount of mushrooms delivers much-needed substance and a pleasant bite that will probably convince even the most hardcore carnivores. The fresh dill is a kind of unusual but actually very pleasant addition.

I made this dish with the prescribed bulgur the first time, but used quinoa instead during a second try. Equally good. How simple can be perfect.

 

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INGREDIENTS

serves 2-4

150g (5.3 oz) bulgur wheat
250ml (1 cup) boiling water
65ml (4.5 tbsp) olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and finely sliced
1 tsp cumin seeds
500g (17.5 oz) mixed mushrooms, sliced 4mm-5mm thick (or torn apart if wild)
2 tbsp picked thyme leaves
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
10g (1 bunch) dill, roughly chopped, plus extra to serve
60g (2 oz) feta, broken into 1cm-2cm pieces
1 tsp Urfa chilli flakes (or ½ tsp of regular chilli flakes)
salt and black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Rinse the bulgur and place in a large bowl. Stir in ¼ teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper, then pour over the boiling water. Cover the bowl with clingfilm and set aside for 20 minutes, until the liquid has been absorbed and the bulgur is soft. Drain, if there is any liquid left, and set aside.
  2. Meanwhile, put 2 tablespoons of oil into a large sauté pan and place on a medium high heat. Add the onion and fry for 7-8 minutes, until soft and caramelised. Add ½ teaspoon of cumin seeds and continue to fry for 1-2 minutes, until dark golden brown. Remove from the pan and set aside.
  3. Add another 2 tablespoons of oil to the same pan and increase the heat to high. Mix in the mushrooms and ½ teaspoon of salt and fry for 6-7 minutes, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms have browned and softened. Add the remaining ½ teaspoon of cumin seeds and the thyme and continue to heat for 1 minute, stirring continuously. Pour in the balsamic vinegar and continue to cook for about 30 seconds: it should reduce to practically nothing. Stir in the bulgur, onion, dill, feta and chilli flakes, until warmed through, then remove from the heat.
  4. Spoon the bulgur and mushrooms on to a large platter or two individual plates. Sprinkle over some extra dill, drizzle with the remaining oil and serve.






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